Scarlett and Disher have returned with an all new seasonal EP, "December Nights". Like "That Christmas Feeling", the EP features 4 covers and one original. But, while still lush and dense with sound and harmonies, "December Nights" is, in their own words, "darker and more dramatic". And they ain't kiddin' (this one's for you, Jim). Put it this way: if last year's EP was the musical equivalent of a Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation, "December Nights" is a soundtrack of the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" starring Alistair Sim. Though Scarlett & Disher are largely inspired by 60s sound, there's more of a late 80s-early 90s feel to this one. This is actually a tad ironic since the duo were primarily electronic on their earlier holiday effort while they went more organic this time, using actual drums, guitars, bass and keyboards.
One of the highlights are clearly the epic, foreboding, and nearly demonic in places take on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". Scarlett's sweet vocals may recall an old world band of carolers, but the music behind her is deliberately off-kilter...as though passed through an evil hall of mirrors. We are then visited by the ghosts of "Greensleeves", "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and "In The Bleak Midwinter", before Scrooge awakes at last to "December Nights"...lesson learned. "The feeling hasn't died/It was always inside us/Just buried in snow". Brilliant line, that.
While "December Nights" is musically satisfying, again showing the abundant abilities of Scarlett & Disher, I'd suggest you follow it immediately with the cheery "That Christmas Feeling" to keep Ebenezer's ghosts at bay. Both are available at Bandcamp.